Corset and the like



Dec. 26, 1944. G. E. HAwEs CORSET AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 23, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR BEDREE E. HAWEE..

ATTORNEY De. 26, 1944. G. E. HAwEs 2,365,026-

CORSET AND THE LIKE Filed Jap. 25, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR EBQUREE BHW/E5.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 26, 1944 CORSET AND THE LIKE vGeorge E. Hawes, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application January 23, 1941, Serial No. 375,563

4 Claims.

tions extending the full length of the garment y and interposed as laterally yieldable non-telescoping spacers between the front and back portions. According to the invention disclosed in this patent, the upper and lower parts of the front and back portions are adapted to maintain independently their positions upon the body upon relative movement of the body below the waistline, whereby the overlapping portions have telescoping action to expandand contract the front and back portions upon the lengthening and shortening of the surfaces of the front and back of the wearer upon assuming different postures, as for instance standing," sitting, and bending forwardly or backwardly. It has been found that the sides of the body in thefregion of the Waistline have a relatively small area which may .be referred to as a neutral axis point or sphere which remains in a fixed relation while other parts of the body move with respect to it, and in the structure disclosed in this patent the spac- .ing of the front and back telescoping parts by the elastic side sections is such that the one or the other of them are removed from directproximity to this neutral axis point, their connection with it being through the nonetelescoping side portions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment in which the froni-I and back relatively movable portions 'are directly connected and movable with respect to a common vertical line at each side coinciding with this neutral axis point or sphere, to the end that in assuming different postures the relatively movable upper and lower parts of the front and back sections will have free telescoping movement relatively to said neutral spheres without the restriction of intervening non-telescoping portions.

A further Aobject is to provide av garment of this character including a body surrounding brassire section comprising the upper parts of the front and back portions, and which constitutes a. continuous supporting band about the upper part of the body 4in which the front and back portions have complementary pivotal movement about the neutral axis points or spheres at the sides of the body, so that in assuming a sitting or bending-over position the telescoping action of the back portion will be relatively unrestricted and assisted by Athe'action of the front portion, while at the same time the frontportion will have free telescoping action without crowding or compressional strains upon the front portions of the body,.this being brought about by the structure wherein the telescoping parts of both the front and back portions are freely movable with respect to each other from the same vertical line of the neutral axis point or sphere.

A further object isto provide a garment in which the lower part of the front `portion will provide a completeand substantial support for the abdomen and diaphragm without crowding or compressive pressures. It is a further object to provide a garment which will permit free movement of the body between various postures withoutl appreciable wrinkling or twisting of any portions of the garment, the relative movement of the body with respect to the garment resulting from lengthening or shortening of parts of the back and front lines of the body in assuming different postures being permitted to take place with a free sliding action, due to the fact that all parts of the garment may swing freely in a .vertical direction with respect to the common vertical lines of the neutral axis points to which all of the relatively movable parts are attached.

With the above and other objects in view, an

embodiment of the invention is shown in the ac-v companying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.v

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a garment ac cording to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the invention, disposed in flattened relation, and Iwith the upper brassire portion shown in open position."

Fg. 2 isa rear elevation of the garment, shown lin flattened relation, and^ with the upper braslsiere portion in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation in non-flattened relation, that is, substantially inthe position for engaging upon the body. i

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the gar- {ment in the same position as shown in Fig. 3, and taken along the line 4-4 of Fig.'2.

y Fig, 5 is a side elevation showing the garment as worn, and with the wearer bending over forwardly.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, on a smaller scale than Fig. 5, showing in full lines the wearer in standing posture, and in dotted lines in backward bending posture.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts vthroughout the several gures of portion the upper edge portion ofthe lower back part I0, the side edges of the upper and lower ylower main front portion I5. Triangular gussets l 20-20 which extend the full length of the lines back parts IIl and II being disposed along substantially vertical continuous lines I 3-I 3 at each side, and which extend from'the top to the bottom of the garment. These vertical lines intersect the axis of the body engaging parts of the garment which when worn overlie the areas of the body at each side in the region of the waistne, and toward the back, whichv may be termed neutral axis points, and which constitute areas or spheres about which the other parts of the body move as a center in assuming different postures. The ends of the overlapped edges of the back sections II) and I I where they attach to the lines I3-I3 are within these axis areas or spheres.

A Elastic side portions I4-I4 which are stretch-v able laterally but are non-stretchable vertically, are secured at their rearward edges to the lines `Iii-I3 and-extend at their lower ends to the bottom of the lower back part I0 and at their upper edges to points intermediate the upper edge of the lower back part I0 where it connects to the lines I3-I 3 and the upper edge of the upper back part II and which are within the axis areas or spheres. To the forward edges of the elastic side portions I 4-I 4 there are secured along seams |4--I4a the vertical side edges of the lower front portion I5, the upper edge of which is continued in upwardly curving relation from thefupper edges of the elastic side portions III-I4, and the lower edge is continued in upwardly curved relation from the lower edges of the elastic side portions to a triangular centrally disposed elastic side edges of the upper brassire portion IT, the

vIl() upper edge of this portion continuing in upwardly curved relation from the upper edge of the upper back part I I, and the lower edge being connected to the lines I3-I3 at points intermediate the 'upper edge of the lower back part I0 and the lower edge .of the upper back portion lI where these edges connect to the lines .I3-.- I 3, and which points are also within the neutral aXS areas ,or spheres. The lower part of the brassire portion Il overlaps the upper part vof the main front portion I5 and the side portions Ill- J4 in overlying telescoping relation, and the concave .curvature oi the lower edge of the brassire portion is such that pulling strains from the ends will tend to section into close conforming relation with the I3-I3. I3-l3 are withinv the neutral axis areas or spheres which overlie the corresponding parts of the body, and within which areas or spheres the movable edges of the four main parts of the garment are connected.y

, The lower back part I0 is preferably constructed of a center panel IIIa and two side panels Illb--IIJb of non-elastic material, stitched together along vertical seams 2I-2I, preferably substantially midway between the back center line of the garment and the side edges of the back part I 0, these seams being stiiened substantially throughout their lengths by stays 22-22 preferably secured in pairs to the inner side of the seamsby cover- ,ing tapes 23-23. A pair of additional single stays 24-24 secured by covering tapes 25-25 are preferably provided in the center panelv IIIa in `spaced parallel relation to the stays 22-22.

The upper back part II is also formed of a center panel Ila and two side panels IIb-I Ib secured together along vertical seams 26-26 which are between the stays 22-22 and 24-24 of the lower back part I0, and these are also stiifened substantially throughout their lengths by stays 21-'-2'I, preferably provided in pairs and secured to the inner sides yof the seams by covering tapes 28-28, the offset relation of these stays being such that they do not directly overlie the stays ofthe lower back part I0 along the overlapping telescoping portions of the upper and lower back parts.

The main lower front portion I5 is preferably formed of ve vertically arranged panels of nonelastic material, there being a center panel I5, intermediatev panels I5b-I5b, and side panels I 5I5, and which are secured together 4along vertically extending seams 29--29 and 30-30, these seams being stiifened at their upper por,- tions by means of stays :tI-3|` and 32-32preferably provided in pairs, and securedv to the inner sides of the seams by covering tapes 33-33 and .B4-34, these stays extending from vthe Aupper edge of the front portion I5 to points substantially spaced from the lower edge, so that thelower part of the front portion is free to bend in the lap region of the wearer when 4assuming sitting or bending postures. The center panel Iais preferably provided with an inner lining 35 to which a pair of centrally arranged stays 35 are secured, these being disposed between the panel I5'L and the inner lining and corresponding in length to the stays 3| and 33. At one Aside of the front portion I5 there is provided an opening 31 extending from the upper edge to a point substantially spaced from the lower edge and Dro; vided with a zipper type fastening 38, this open'- ing also being preferably provided with hooks 39 and eyes 40, at the respective sides, for preliminarily closing the opening prior 'to operation of the zipper fastening.

The upper brassire portion I1, comprises a cen,- ter panel I 'I'l and intermediate panels I'lb-I 1b,

These stiflened portions of the lines secured together `along vertical taped seams 4I'-4I the upper edges of these panels being arcuately formed and having the cup-formations Ile-14H0, secured thereto along taped seams 42-42. intermediate panel I'Ib and the cup formation I'Ic are secured by a taped seam 43 to one vertical edge of the side 'panel 11d which in turn is secured at its other vertical edge to the line I3 at one side ofl the upper baik part I I. At the other side the side panel I'Id is secured along one vertical edge to the line I3 at the other side of the back part I I and is provided along its other vertical edge withA a fastening tape 44 having eye members 45 for fastening to a' fastening tape 46 having hook members 4T, and secured along the other side edges of the intermediate panel IIb and the cup formation IIc atthe other side. As is clear from Fig. lithe brassire portion may be opened by unfastening the hook and eye fastenings, and in effect is continuously formed with the upper back At one side the outer side edges of the l part II, so that while the upper back part Ii i functions as the upper telescoping part of the back portion of thegarment it also completes the body surrounding function of the brassire portion. i Shoulder straps 48-48 are"connected between the upper back part II andthe cup formations Ila-Ilc of the brassire portion, and hose supporters 49 are secured to the lower edge of the garment preferably at the lower ends of the seams 2.9-29, -30 and I3-I3. As shown in full lines in Fig. 6 the garment is in its normal position while in a standing posture. It will be observed that the lower front portion I5 is. engaged at its upper part with the diaphragm and at its lower part with the abdomen of the wearer. The brassire portion I I at its lower part overlaps the upper part of the portion I5, acting as a supporting band around it, and at its lower edge is sui`n`ciently high so that in assuming a sitting or a bending forward posture it can move downwardly as shown by the full line arrow in Fig. 5 without exerting compressive pressure upon the abdomen. The upper edge of the lower portion l5 is spaced downwardly from the.

bust portion to a suflicient extent so that in bending forwardly as shown in Fig. 5 or in a sitting posture, this edge may move upwardly as shown by thedotted line arrow in Figp without crowding or exerting compressive pressure upon the bust. At the same time the overlap between the portions Il and I5 is sufficient to maintain these portions in overlapped relation upon a maximum extension of the body, as for instance when bending backwardly, as shown by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 6.

The upper and lower back portions II and I0 line and substantially -coextensive vertically therewith, so that these portions I I and I'I form a body girding brassire part in which these parts II and I1 act together, while at the same time acting cooperatively with the lower back and front portions I0 and I5.

' I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory, embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof as dened in the appended claims.

Having thus'described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A foundation garment comprising in combin'ation, a front portion comprising an upper part and a lower part vertically offset andvoverlapped with respect to each other, and a back portion comprising an upper p-art and a lower part vertically offset and overlapped with respect to each other, the side edges of the upper and lower parts of said front and back portions being disposed and secured together along a substantially vertically extending non-elastic seam line at each side extending from the top edge to the bottom edge of the garment, and the offset bottom and top edges of said upper and lower parts of said front and back portions extending tively xed anchorage points at' each side with have telescoping movement in cooperation with 4 there being no intervening non-telescoping portions to restrict the movement or to space the anchoring points about which the movement occurs from the natural neutral axis lines I 3. While the upper back portion II forms an integrated part of the garment, having the four main movable sections I 0, II, I5 and I'I, it also constitutes inK effect a back for the brassire portion I'I in lateral respect to which said edges are free to simultaneously move to expand and contract said front and back portions in substantial correspondence with the movements of the front and back portions of the body relatively to a neutral axis point at each side in the region of the waist line, said lines being arranged to coincide with said axis points, and the anchoring points of the lower edges of the front and back upper parts being vertically spaced from each other along said seam lines and the upper edge of the front and back lower parts being vertically spaced from each other along said seam lines.

2. A foundation garment comprising in combination, a front portion comprising an upper part and a lower part vertically offset and overlapped with respect to each other, and a back portion comprising an upper part and a lower p-art vertically offset and overlapped with respect to each other, the side edges of the upper and lower parts of said front 'and back portions being disposed and secured together along a substantially vertically extending non-elastic seam line at each side extending from the top edge to the bottom edge of the garment, and the offset bottom and top edges of said upper and lower parts of said front and back portions extending to said lines and being unattached and free with respect to the underlying and overlying portions of the garment between said lines, the connection points being vertically spaced along said seam lines with the connection points of the upper edge of said lower front part nearest the upper end of said lines, followed in vertically spaced succession by the points of connection of the upper edge of the lower back portion, the lower edge of the upper front portion and the lower edge of the upper back portion, said lines constituting relatively fixed anchorage points at each side with respect to which said edges are free to move simultaneously to expand and contract said front and back portions in substantial correspondence with the movements of the front and back portions of the body relatively to a neu# trai axis point; at each side in the region of the waist line, said lines being arranged to coincide with said axis points.

3. A foundation garment comprising in comdiaphragm and at its lower portion to engage the l abdomen, and including laterally yieldable elastic end portions vertically co-extensive therewith, and connected along their vertical rearwardly disposed edges to said vertically fixed lines, and an upper brassire part adapted at its upper portion to engage the bust and having a lower portion overlapped exteriorly upon the upper diaphragm engaging portion of said lower part, and the elastic end portions thereof to an extent sufficient to maintain said overlapped relation upon maximum expansion of said front portion, the bottom edge of the upper .part being below the top edge of the lower part, the ends of the bottom edge of the upper part and the top edge of the lower part being anchored along said fixed lines in vertically spaced relation one with respect to the other, whereby said ends maintain a substantially constant relation to each other, said bottom and top edges of the respective upper and lower parts being relatively movable and whereby said front portion is adapted to expand and contract in correspondence with the length; ening and shortening of the central front line of the wearer upon assuming standing, sitting, and bending postures.

4. A foundation garment'comprising in combination, a vertically expansible and contractablc back portion, and a front portion connected at each side to said back portion along vertically i'lxed lines by non-elastic seams extending from the top edge to the bottom edge of the garment, said front portion comprising a lower part adapted at its upper portion to engage the wearers diaphragm and at its lower portion to engage the abdomen and including laterally yieldable elastic end portions vertically co-extensive therewith, and connected along their vertical rearwardly disposed edges to said vertically fixed lines, and an upper brassire part adapted at its upper portion to engage the bust and having a lower portion overlapped exteriorly upon the up per diaphragm engaging portion of said lower part and the elastic end portions thereof to an extent suiiicient to maintain said overlapped re lation upon maximum expansion of said front portion and including laterally yieldable elastic -gussets at the ends of its lower edge, the bottom edge of the upper part being below the top edge of the lower part, the ends of the bottom edge of the upper part and the top edge of the lower part being anchored along said xed lines in vertically spaced relation one with respect to the other, whereby said ends maintain a substantially constantl relation to each other, said bottom and top edges of the respective upper and lower parts being relatively movable and whereby said front portion is adapted to expand and contract in correspondence with the lengthening and shortening of the central front line of the wearer upon assuming standing, sitting and bending postures.

l GEORGE E. HAWES. 

